A two-time All-Stater at Muskegon High School, Bill McCall led the Big Reds to state football titles in 1926 and 1927. He was selected by The Detroit News as quarterback of their third team in 1926, and earned first-team honors one year later, as a senior
On the basketball court, McCall led Muskegon to a 20-1 record and a Class A state championship in the spring of 1927. After the state tourney, the Big Reds traveled to Chicago to compete in the University of Chicago’s National Cage Tournament, losing to Batesville High School of Arkansas in the second round.
McCall moved on to Dartmouth University, where he earned the nickname “Wild Bill” because of his reputation as an “all-purpose threat.”  He showed his versatility in a 33-all tie against Yale in 1931, scoring three touchdowns, including a 93-yard kickoff return, an 85-yard pass reception and a 65-yard interception return. McCall, who scored 90 points during his senior year, was a strong candidate for Grantland Rice’s All-American team. His point total ranked fourth on Dartmouth’s all-time list.
McCall also led Dartmouth’s basketball team to a 15-6 record during his senior year. In three years of cage action, he scored 146 points in 31 games.